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Customers, store employee thwart robbery attempt

By Teddy Kulmala

Jul 10 2013 12:01 am

Kooy

An Aiken man who was detained in connection with the robbery of a convenience store last week is accused in a robbery attempt at an Aiken store earlier the same day, according to the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

Troy Randell Kooy, 48, turned himself in to authorities on Saturday and was charged with robbery/attempted robbery and strong arm robbery, according to Sgt. Jason Feemster, a spokesman for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

He was placed in the Aiken County detention center, where he remained on Tuesday afternoon.

The second incident he now is accused of occurred at the Dollar General on York Street about 4:40 p.m. on Thursday, according to a sheriff's report.

The incident was apparently thwarted by customers and employees of the store,

The cashier told officers that an unknown Hispanic man wearing blue jeans, a long sleeve khaki shirt and a white “fishing type” hat with a wide brim asked her to give him change for a dollar, according to the report. The victim told the man he had to buy something in the store in order to get change.

The suspect tried to purchase a pack of gum, and, when the cashier opened the register, he tried to grab the money out of the drawer, according to the report.

The cashier then began to struggle with the suspect.

A female customer in the store tried to help by striking the suspect with a bag of laundry detergent, according to the report.

Two other employees heard the struggle and also ran to help.

The suspect was unable to get any money from the register and ran out of the store, the report stated.

One of the employees ran after the man and was able to get a tag number from the vehicle he was driving.

Kooy is also accused in the robbery of the Kent's Korner on Wagener Road, which happened about 5:15 p.m. the same day, according to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Police said in that case, he allegedly reached over the counter when the register was open and took an unknown amount of money.

Teddy Kulmala covers the crime beat for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since August 2012. He is a native of Williston and majored in communication studies at Clemson University.

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